Grades 1 & 2: Safari

This week, 1st & 2nd graders learned all about animals with a special field trip to the Gentry Zoo to see some exotic critters not typically found 'round these parts. In the classroom, campers got to hold a real starfish, then dissect it! They'll continue this unit with more animal activities next week.

Kindergarten: Hawaii

Kindergarten campers had a blast this week while learning about Hawaii. After making leis and "grass" skirts, campers converged in the gym to learn a Hawaiian dance led by our very own office manager, Ms. Jenny. Next week, they'll cool off with a tasty unit on Ice Cream!

Preschool: Snow Cone Stand

This week, Ms. Lindsey's Pre-K class set up shop in the outdoor playground with a snow cone stand. Other classes were invited to purchase tasty snow cones while these pre-k students took turns doing different tasks in the booth. If there's one thing our pre-k students have learned about selling snow cones, ice cream, and lemonade this summer, it's that the profits are small, but the tips are great!

Next Week's Summer Camp Themes

Kindergarten - Ice Cream: Make homemade ice cream. Create your own banana split. Visit Braum's Ice Cream store.

This week, 1st & 2nd graders continued their unit on Italy with a field trip to Papa John's Pizzeria. Campers took turns in small groups going behind the counter to make their own pizza. They got to handle the dough, choose and apply all their favorite toppings and watch their pizzas come out of the oven, fresh and hot. Next week, we'll begin our last unit called, "Safari" in which campers will learn all about animals and take a field trip to the Gentry Zoo.

Kindergarten: Lemonade

Kindergarten had a refreshing week learning about the classic summer tradition of making lemonade. These campers got to make their own lemonade in a bag, squeezing their own lemons, sweetening to taste, and using food coloring to make their lemonade colorfully unique. Today, they joined forces to set up a lemonade stand on the playground to offer their perfected refreshments to other New School campers. Next week, we'll get tropical with our unit on Hawaii.

Preschool: Cool Art Projects

This week, Ms. Tracy's preschool class stayed cool and creative by painting with ice! The children chose colors and filled in their ice trays themselves. We froze the trays, then the children used these paint-sicles to make their own masterpieces, spreading the paint as the ice melted. Summer in preschool has been full of fun projects like this, with plenty of indoor and outdoor playtime as well. 

Next Week's Summer Camp Themes

Kindergarten - Hawaii: Learn about the aloha state. Make leis and enjoy a luau. Create an exploding volcano!

Special Upcoming Field Trips:

1st & 2nd Grade will take a special field trip to The Gentry Safari on Tuesday, July 20th. This field trip will depart from New School at 11:30 a.m. and return by 4:00 p.m.

Grades 3-7: New School's Got Talent

This week, 3rd-7th grade summer campers began their two-week unit on all things Rock-n-Roll. Check out these students showing off their skills on the popular game Rock Band displayed on a full-sized projector screen in one of our classrooms. Next week, we'll be practicing for the big Talent Show on Friday afternoon. You won't want to miss this show!

Grades 1 & 2: Italy

Italy This week, 1st & 2nd graders kicked off a two week unit full of Italy-themed activities. Have you ever tried to paint upside-down like Michelangelo? These campers got to try it out! Next week, we'll continue out Italy unit with a special field trip to Papa John's pizzeria on Tuesday.

Kindergarten: Bugs and Butterflies

Kindergarten campers spend this week exploring the wonderful world of insects! Despite the rain, we had plenty of fun bug-themed arts and crafts to keep us busy indoors. Next week, we'll learn about everyone's favorite summer refreshment: Lemonade!

Preschool: Field Trip to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

This week, Ms. Lindsey and Ms. Renee's pre-kindergarten classes took a special field trip to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks to explore all the amazing plants on this beautiful property. We've been especially excited this summer about getting out pre-kindergarteners out and about on more field trips to experience the Fayetteville community.

Next Week's Summer Camp Themes

3rd-7th Grade - New School's Got Talent: Have real jam sessions with your instruments from home. Play the video games "Rock Band," "Guitar Hero," and "American Idol." Create your own group t-shirts. Can you sing, dance, or even do stand up comedy? Show off your skills at a Summer Talent Show on Friday, July 16th.

1st-2nd Grade - Italy: Tour a pizza restaurant and make your own pizza! Form designs from pasta. Paint upside-down like Michelangelo.

Kindergarten - Lemonade: Juice real lemons. Perfect your own recipe for lemonade. Sell lemonade to summer campers in other grades.

Grades 3-7: Advertising and Computer Graphics

This week, our older campers used New School computers, cameras, and editing programs to write, film, and edit their own commercials in small teams. At the end of the week, campers shared the results of their creativity in an Advertising Expo at New School. Next week, we'll begin our popular two-week unit, New School's Got Talent, in which students will have a chance to rock out with real instruments and video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, all leading up to our annual Summer Talent Show!

Grades 1 & 2: Wild West

This week, 1st & 2nd graders took a special field trip to Sunrise Ranch to see firsthand how a horse ranch works. Campers had the opportunity to ride a horse and try their hand at throwing a lasso. Campers that missed out on the field trip got one more chance to get close to a horse when a New School parent brought her horse to our campus for students to pet and feed. Next week, these campers will their Italy unit which is sure to offer lots of fun with food and art.

Kindergarten: Stars and Stripes

In preparation for Independence Day this weekend, our kindergarten campers participated in all sorts of fun crafts and activities involving lots of red, white, and blue. In addition to the flags and lady liberty hats they made, they cooled off in classic summer style with a sprinkler party and popsicles. Next week, they'll turn their attention towards the natural world with a unit on Bugs and Butterflies!

Preschool: Independence Day Parades!

This week, our Pre-Kindergarten classes treated the whole school to a few fabulous red, white, and blue parades in honor of the 4th of July. Children marched around the school adorned in colorful crafts they made earlier in the week, all while a boom-box played Yankee Doodle.

Next Week's Summer Camp Themes:

Grades 3-7: Kid vs. Wild!

Today, we wrapped up our Kid vs. Wild unit with an all-day trip to Devil's Den State Park! Campers had the opportunity to hike along beautiful trails, cruise the lake in paddle boats, try their hand at fishing, and cool off with an afternoon swim. Our Kid vs. Wild unit was full of outdoor activities that put the "camp" in summer camp. Get ready for next week's new unit: Computer Graphics and Advertising, in which students will explore their creative and persuasive side, while still going on the same fun afternoon field trips every day!

Grades 1 & 2: Tropical Paradise

Grades 1 & 2 finished their Tropical Paradise unit with a bang by building, decorating, and erupting their own paper mache volcanos. Next week, they'll begin their next unit, Wild West, which will include a field trip to Sunrise Ranch on Tuesday, June 29th.

Kindergarten: Baseball

In stead of taking us out to the ball game, we brought the ball game to New School! Kindergarten campers rounded out their unit on baseball with an all-kindergarten baseball game on the playground, complete with visors they made themselves. We discovered a few campers with some real promising talent, but the game was really a home-run event for everyone. Get ready for next week's theme, Stars and Stripes, to prepare our campers for Independence Day next weekend.

Preschool: Sensory Garden in Full Bloom

Our youngest students have watched their sensory garden grow all year, and now it's thriving in the summer sun. Thanks to the generous help of the volunteer parents Cliff Hughes, Jennifer Shaw, and Kay Curry, the sensory garden project gives our 2 and 3 year olds a chance to appreciate plants with all of their senses.

3rd-7th Grade Unit: Kid vs. Wild

Here, a summer camper in our 3rd-7th grade program scales the climbing wall at PackRat Outdoor Store as part of this week's theme: Kid vs. Wild. In addition to testing their climbing skills, campers learned how to use a GPS unit though a geocashing exercise and learned about insects with a visitor from the U of A Entomology lab. Next week, Kid vs. Wild continues with more activities like building a campfire, pitching a tent, and learning to cast a fly fishing rod.

1st & 2nd Grade Unit: Tropical Paradise

What says summer better than a sand castle! This week, our 1st and 2nd grade campers took a field trip to Lake Fayetteville for a sand castle building contest. Prizes were awarded for size, creativity, design, and more, but we think everyone came out a winner! Next week, the Tropical Paradise unit continues with more activities about islands and tropical rainforests.

Kindergarten Unit: Camping

Our 3rd-7th graders weren't the only ones who learned about the great outdoors this week. Here we see two kindergarten students experiencing s'mores the correct way: by making a huge mess! Kindergarten campers set up a tent in their classroom and got a fun introduction to the classic activities involved in camping. Next week, they'll learn about America's favorite pastime, with a whole unit devoted to Baseball!

Preschool: Ice Cream Truck visits New School!

This week, preschool teachers invited an ice cream truck to make a special stop at The New School. Preschool students followed the music up the hill to partake in this classic summer tradition right on our own campus. Preschool parents: be sure to keep checking your class' Parent Note for important information about upcoming field trips and sprinkler parties.

Here, we see summer campers in our 3rd-7th grade program participating in a cool forensics exercise that challenged them to match tire marks with the toy cars that made them. This week's CSI camp activities included decoding, blood spatter analysis, and fingerprinting. Next week, our 3rd-7th grade campers will dive right into our outdoors themed unit: Kid vs. Wild.

In this photo, 1st-2nd grade campers pose with their own version of a sushi roll (fruit roll-ups wrapped around rice crispy treats!). 1st-2nd grade campers participated in a variety of Asia-themed activities that included learning to use chopsticks, folding origami, and taking a real Karate lesson. Next week's theme: Tropical Paradise!

Can you find the Razorback fan in this group of kids? This week, kindergarten campers went hog wild, making all sorts hog-themed crafts including tie-dye t-shirts, hog noses, and hog tails. Woooooo Pig Sooie!!! Next week's theme: Camping!

This week, Ms. Renee's class made a lemonade stand and sold delicious, ice-cold cups to thirsty campers as their first economic experience. They took tips one day and charged money the next day to compare which method earned more money. With more lemonade, ice cream, and sprinkler parties to come, preschool kids can look forward to a fabulously fun summer with friends at New School.

Kindergarten - Camping:

Learn how to pitch a tent. Make your own hot dogs and s'mores. Visit Packrat Outdoor store!

It's not too late to sign up!

Signing up for drop-in days is easy, and gives you a great back-up plan all summer long. To sign up your child for drop-in days at The New School, call 479-521-7037 or come by the school anytime during the week.

We hope you're having a great summer!

Parents: Please join us for a special Parent Performance for all elementary and middle school students and parents this Thursday evening.

Parent Performance of Digging Up Arkansas

Thursday, March 11; 7:00 p.m. in the New School Gym

Read below to learn more and to see a slideshow from the Tuesday's performance!

Walton Arts Center and The New School believe in the power of the arts to improve classroom learning and inspire people of all ages. The New School is part of Walton Arts Center’s 100% SmART School Residency. The learning goal of the program is to prepare and coach third grade classroom teachers in ways to use drama as a teaching strategy to help students’ literacy achievement. In addition to professional development for teachers and workshops for students, the project offers opportunities for students to see live performance at Walton Arts Center as well as in their school. A new play, Digging Up Arkansas, based on Arkansas History will be performed in The New School for elementary students and their families.

About The SmART school Residency program

SmART school Residency is a pilot program that started in August, 2009 in four public schools. Third grade students and teachers have been working with Trike Theatre teaching artists in arts-based workshops before and after the students attend performances at Walton Arts Center. Workshops are designed to make the performance experience more meaningful and support student achievement in literacy. Dr. Patricia Relph, Walton Arts Center’s Arts Learning Specialist says:

“Research shows that children involved in the arts are better students and more engaged in learning. Walton Arts Center’s goal is to support every Northwest Arkansas student’s learning through the arts, and we are committed to show teachers effective ways to use the arts to improve student achievement in core curriculum areas such as literacy.”

About Digging Up Arkansas

Lost in time! Three writers from the Federal Writer’s Project invite students to explore and organize ancient artifacts before President Roosevelt’s scheduled arrival in Arkansas. Their adventurers unearth historical Arkansas mysteries and demonstrate the communication, courage and culture of characters that shaped our state history. The students make a place for themselves in Arkansas’ story. Digging up Arkansas, written by Arkansas playwright Mike Thomas, was commissioned by Walton Arts Center and co-produced with Tricycle Theatre for Youth with support from the Arkansas Arts Council.

Learning Standards met: Reading; Writing; Oral and Visual Communications; Inquiring / Researching; Social Studies – Geography – Culture and Diversity; History; Theatre and Music.

Snow Day Policy Reminder:

Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan recently visited our 2nd grade classrooms to explain the role of the mayor in city politics.  Mayor Jordan walked through a typical day in the life of a mayor, then took questions from our students.

We're so grateful to Mayor Jordan for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with our students at The New School.